1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to medical tourniquets, and more particularly relates to disposable inflatable tourniquet cuffs of the type that are wrapped around an arm or leg and inflated to provide pressure for controlling blood flow.
2. General Background
Tourniquets used in the medical industry are often inflatable, and are comprised of an internal bladder which is usually molded rubber that is contained within a cover. The cover prevents ballooning or over expansion of the internal rubber bladder. The cover is usually removable so that it can be cleaned after each use. However, sterility is a problem with reusable tourniquets.
Some patents have issued for disposable tourniquets that are also inflatable. Disposable tourniquets are attractive because they eliminate the need for cleaning which is a critical problem because blood and other fluids and contaminants soil the cover of the tourniquet. Therefore, there is a need for a simple, easy to use, easy to construct yet durable inflatable cuff apparatus which is of high quality yet available at minimal expense.
Various prior patented tourniquet cuffs which are inflatable include U.S. Pat. No. 3,504,675, issued to W. A. Bishop, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,670,735, issued to Louis Hazelwood; U.S. Pat. No. 4,321,929, issued to Jerome Lemelson; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,635, issued to Cynthia Robinette-Lahman. The '635 Robinette-Lahman patent relates to an improved tourniquet which is inflatable and adapted to be wrapped around a body part. The '635 Robinette-Lahman cuff apparatus includes an inner bladder of a pair of layers and three other outer cover layers that are sealed at the edges using multiple radio frequency welds. One layer placed intermediate the bladder and cover is used for containing a stiffener. The '635 Robinette-Lahman patent uses numerous radio frequency welds including a first weld which seals the edges of the bladder, and additional welds which seal the bladder to the cover parts and to the additional cover which seals the stiffener.
The following patents disclose other patented tourniquets and cuffs.
______________________________________ PRIOR ART U. S. PAT. No. INVENTOR TITLE ______________________________________ 3,467,077 L. Cohen "Sphygmomanometric Cuff" 4,465,076 H. Sturgeon "Self-Applying Accessory For Blood Pressure Cuff" 3,930,506 T. Overend "Disposable Phlebotomists Tourniquet" 3,906,937 T. Aronson "Blood Pressure Cuff And Bladder And Apparatus Embodying The Same" 3,968,788 J. Hopkins "Sphygomanometer Band And Method Of Self-Application Thereof" 3,977,393 V. Kovacic "Pressure Cuff And Method Of Placing It On A Limb" 3,713,446 S. Sarnoff "Self-Applied Pneumatically Actuated Pressure" 3,669,096 M. Hurwitz "Self-Donning Sphygmomanometer Cuff" 3,633,567 S. Sarnoff "Pneumatically Actuated Pressure Dressing" 3,654,931 L. Hazlewood "Disposable Tourniquet Cover" 800,467 H. Meyers "Elastic Bandage" 814,795 H. Meyers "Elastic Bandage" 4,177,813 C. Miller "Vessel Occluder" et al. 4,149,540 R. Hasslinger "Separable Cinch Fastener" 4,106,499 K. Ueda "Sphygmomanometer Cuff" 4,406,281 V. Hubbard "Fluid Impermeable Cover For Operating Room Tourniquet" 4,354,503 R. Golden "Blood Pressure Cuff" ______________________________________